Cysticercosis is a parasitic disease caused by Taenia solium. Both
people and pigs can become infected with the larvae or cysts of the
parasite by faecal-oral contamination. Cysts are often located in the
central nervous system (CNS), causing neurocysticercosis (NCC). Gilberto
Ocana and colleagues (3) investigated the prevalence of NCC in patients
treated for epilepsy in Lusiskisiki, Eastern Cape.

NCC may present with a variety of clinical manifestations. The
parenchymal form is most common and accounts for 29-62% of cases of NCC,
causing headache, seizures, focal neurological deficit or intellectual
impairment. Seventy-five per cent of patients with NCC have calcified
cyst in the muscles. Treatment of NCC includes antiparasitic drugs,
praziquantel and albendazole.

In their study group, 61% of patients with epilepsy (2 or more
seizures) were found to have NCC. This high prevalence rate may be due
to unsanitary environmental conditions. The authors recommend that all
patients with seizures of recent onset should have a CT or MRI brain
scan--also if a patient has a positive serological result to exclude
NCC.